A new season began on Easter Sunday afternoon as the Carolina Hurricanes' pursuit of the Stanley Cup started against the New Jersey Devils. Both teams struggled down the stretch, with the Canes dropping their season finale in a wild 7-5 loss to the Senators on Thursday. With plenty of playoff history between the two sides, Game 1 was certain to be a wild battle.
Frederik Andersen took the net for the Hurricanes to begin the series, making consecutive starts after a tough outing in Ottawa. The group in front of him returned to normal after several stars rested over the final few contests. Jacob Markstrom stood across from him for the Devils. New Jersey featured many former Hurricanes, but there are no friends once the playoffs begin.
As everyone expected, Jalen Chatfield potted the team's first goal of the playoffs early in the opening period. Jack Roslovic and Eric Robinson did an excellent job of winning the draw and getting the puck to Chatfield at the point. With traffic flowing toward the crease, Chatfield let go of a silent wrister that eluded Markstrom to get the crowd buzzing early.
The home team controlled the majority of the first period. They owned a massive edge in shots through 20 minutes, settling for the lone goal. Andersen wasn't tested much, but was on the spot with some easy stops. Roslovic nearly made it 2-0 on the Canes' second power play, hitting the iron near where the post and crossbar meet. After one, the lead remained 1-0 for Carolina.
The second period was all about Logan Stankoven. The rookie made a massive impact in his Hurricanes playoff debut. First, Jordan Martinook took advantage of Nico Hischier's misplay behind the net to set up Stankoven between the dots. Then, on the power play, Taylor Hall set him up with a cross-ice pass to the right dot that Stankoven snapped off the far post and in to make it 3-0.
The Devils scratched and clawed their way onto the scoreboard late in the period. During a 4-on-4 session, Jesper Bratt's pass allowed Hischier plenty of room to skate in along the wing. The Devils' captain snapped it against the grain, getting some love from the iron to beat Andersen over his glove-side shoulder. It was a tough way to end an otherwise dominant period as the Canes led 3-1.
New Jersey played its best period of the game in the third, keeping the Canes on their heels. When the Devils had their chances, Andersen was there to shut them down. His best save of the afternoon came midway through the third when he used his paddle to rob Timo Meier. Everything the Devils did was met with resistance as the lead stayed at two.
Andrei Svechnikov put the game away with an empty-net goal, restoring the Canes' three-goal advantage. He made an excellent play at the defensive blue line to break up New Jersey's pass before playing catch with Hall and burying the fourth goal. The crowd was electric until the final horn as the Canes took the first game of the series, 4-1.
You couldn't have scripted a better start to the series for the Hurricanes. They scored early, scored often, and stifled a lot of what New Jersey was trying to do. This game was controlled at 5-on-5. The Canes scored on the power play, and the penalty kill was suffocating, but it was their work when the sides were at full strength that stood out.
Frederik Andersen made me eat my words after his performance in Ottawa last week. He was simply phenomenal in Game 1. The goal he allowed at the end of the second could've turned his performance on its head, but he played his best period when the Devils played theirs. With Jacob Markstrom also looking good on the other side, this must be the standard for Andersen.
Game 1 was every bit as physical as we thought it would be, combining for over 90 hits. There were some big collisions, too. Eric Robinson led the way with eight hits to go with an assist, while William Carrier had six. Seth Jarvis laid a huge hit on old teammate Brett Pesce. Andrei Svechnikov got under Dougie Hamilton's skin, too. It might not stay at this level the entire series, but this is just the start.
Across the board, everyone had their hands on this win. The fourth line got it going. The Staal line scored a big goal early in the second. The Kotkaniemi line was relentless before being rewarded with the empty-netter. The top line was solid despite not scoring. The special teams earned a decisive victory. It's only the first game, yet you have to love how this is trending early.
Game 2: The series continues with Game 2 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. One big story to watch is New Jersey's health. Brendan Dillon left the game in the second period. Cody Glass left in the third. Luke Hughes was also shaken up before returning late in the game. The Devils are already a little depleted, so they can't afford anyone else missing time.